All Roll Calls
Yes: 106 • No: 1
UtahH.B. 152026 General SessionHouseWALLET
Medicaid Amendments
Sponsored By: Steve Eliason (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Health InsuranceHealth and Human ServicesDepartment of Health and Human ServicesMedicaidHomelessness
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
9 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 4 costs, 2 mixed.
More low-income adults qualify for Medicaid
Beginning May 6, 2026, Utah raises the Medicaid expansion income limit from 95% to below 133% of the federal poverty level. Applicants must also meet the program's other eligibility requirements. Medicaid must cover people authorized to enroll under state law Sections 26B-3-113 or 26B-3-210. The health department can operate expansion under state law and federal approval, replacing the prior detailed operating framework.
Federal funding cuts end expansion authority
Beginning May 6, 2026, Utah's expansion authority ends if the federal expansion matching rate falls below 90%. Authority ends the day after the next General Legislative Session following that reduction adjourns for good. On that day, the health department must begin ending the expansion waiver and changing its systems. This starts a coverage wind-down, rather than ending all enrollee coverage immediately.
Housing help for Medicaid expansion enrollees
Beginning May 6, 2026, Utah can use federal Medicaid money for housing support with federal approval. This help is limited to Medicaid expansion enrollees eligible for housing support. The law does not set the amount or type of help.
Longer coverage periods for Medicaid enrollees
Beginning May 6, 2026, federal approval allows Medicaid expansion and Health Coverage Improvement Program coverage periods of up to 12 months. The health department sets the period's length within that limit. For improvement program enrollees, specified income-limit and eligibility-rule changes do not apply during the approved period. The department can seek that waiver only after its director finds federal approval likely. It must apply within 120 days of that finding.
Medicaid funding gaps can trigger cuts
Beginning May 6, 2026, the health department can cut optional Medicaid services when expansion costs exceed the listed available funds. Enrollees using affected services can lose access to them. The department can put resulting savings into the Medicaid ACA Fund. It can also seek federal waivers needed for Medicaid budget controls.
New limits on Medicaid expansion access
Beginning May 6, 2026, Utah can impose Medicaid expansion lockouts for violations of department-defined program rules, with federal approval. The law does not set the lockout length. With federal approval, the department can also limit when qualified organizations grant temporary coverage while full eligibility is checked. The department defines when those limits apply.
Medicaid funding backstop requires agency cuts
Beginning May 6, 2026, Utah must fund expansion's state share entirely through the Medicaid ACA Fund, county contributions, or nonstate-agency sources. With federal approval, Utah can use a per-person federal funding cap that adjusts yearly for inflation and enrollee-group costs. A projected current-year shortfall, after counting optional-service savings, requires the governor to order health and workforce agency spending cuts. Finance officials must reduce those agencies' allotments in proportion to the gap, capped at 10% of each agency's current-year General Fund appropriations. Those reductions go into the Medicaid ACA Fund; enrollees have no payment duty under these rules.
Medicaid hospital payments face funding limits
Beginning May 6, 2026, certain directed Medicaid hospital payments are limited to available funds. Inpatient and outpatient amounts use submitted care records for the covered Medicaid groups. They reflect the gap between managed-care plan payments and the maximum payable amounts. The payment-limit provision sunsets July 1, 2028. It limits hospital payments, not household payment duties.
Program closures protect Medicaid federal funding
Beginning May 6, 2026, the health department must end or leave a program when doing so prevents an expansion matching-rate cut. The program must receive less than $50 million in state funds yearly and be easy to end without disrupting other programs. It must cause the rate reduction, and ending department involvement must avoid that reduction. The department must act before the state's first reduction in the expansion matching rate.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Steve Eliason
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Keith Grover
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/6/2026
Senate/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 27 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/6/2026
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/6/2026
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/2/2026
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 4 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/2/2026
Senate Comm - Consent Calendar Recommendation
Yes: 4 • No: 0
House vote • 2/24/2026
House/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 63 • No: 1
House vote • 2/18/2026
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 8 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
3/18/2026House/ to Governor
3/16/2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
3/16/2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
3/12/2026HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
3/12/2026Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
3/10/2026Bill Received from House for Enrolling
3/10/2026House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
3/6/2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
3/6/2026HouseSenate/ to House
3/6/2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
3/6/2026SenateSenate/ passed 3rd reading
3/6/2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
3/6/2026SenateSenate/ circled
3/6/2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
3/6/2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
3/3/2026SenateSenate/ comm rpt/ placed on Consent Calendar
3/3/2026SenateSenate Comm - Consent Calendar Recommendation
3/2/2026Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
3/2/2026Senate/ to standing committee
2/26/2026SenateSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2/25/2026SenateSenate/ received from House
2/24/2026SenateHouse/ to Senate
2/24/2026HouseHouse/ passed 3rd reading
2/24/2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
2/24/2026House
Bill Text
Enrolled
3/12/2026
Substitute #2
2/13/2026
Substitute #1
2/2/2026
Introduced
12/4/2025